{
  "id": 5303263,
  "title": "Notion’s new San Francisco HQ is an ode to classic design",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/notions-new-san-francisco-hq-is-an-ode-to-classic-design",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-03T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91599202/notion-designed-its-new-hq-as-an-ode-to-classic-design"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Notion, a productivity software company that has recently shifted its focus to artificial intelligence, has chosen an unexpected approach for its new headquarters in San Francisco. Unlike many tech companies that opt for futuristic designs, Notion's office in the Monadnock Building reflects a more classic aesthetic. The 100,000-square-foot space, located in a historic 1907 building, features book-matched burl reception desk, Persian carpets, gauzy white curtains, and authentic Gerrit Rietveld chairs.\n\nThe design team behind Notion, IA Interior Architects, wanted to create a soothing atmosphere for employees, which they achieved by painting the walls in Benjamin Moore Cream Froth and setting lighting to a warm 2700K color temperature. Michael McGinley, Notion's global head of real estate, emphasized that the design aims to celebrate the people who work there. Design director Kristoffer Tendall added that the office seeks to honor the company's values by preserving its historical roots.\n\nThe relocation of Notion to this historic building comes at a time when the tech industry in San Francisco has been moving towards newer, larger spaces in areas like South Beach and Mission Bay. However, AI companies like Notion, Anthropic, and Jony Ive's Io are choosing to maintain a connection to the pre-digital past through their architectural choices. CEO Ivan Zhao, who was involved in the vision for the HQ, is a history enthusiast who wants the office to be a place dedicated to literature, poetry, and architecture.\n\nNotion's founders valued the location's proximity to public transportation and a nearby parking garage, which helps reduce commute times by around 20 minutes on average. The team also made an effort to incorporate as many original features of the building as possible, such as painting the historic window frames a shade of orange that matches the Golden Gate Bridge and retaining original building materials. In one instance, dark-gray veined marble floors discovered during demolition were kept to honor the building's history, even though they were initially considered damaged.",
  "summary": "Ever since offices have existed, they’ve projected a certain image of the companies who build them. And in the tech space, this has usually meant a forward-looking aesthetic—Apple’s spaceship , Amazon’s geodesic domes , and Bell Labs’ mirrored complex . It’s a fitting, and often repeated, conceit for businesses that are designing the future. (Or want to be perceived as such.) [Photo: courtesy IA…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}